Folding table improvements



Oct. 4, 1960 Filed Jan. 27, 1958 D. R. PLEHAL FOLDING TABLE IMPROVEMENTS '7 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. .ZDAA/ P. PEHAL lay W W 477a RA/EV Oct. 4, 1960 Filed Jan. 27, 1958 D. R. PLEHAL FOLDING TABLE IMPROVEMENTS 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. DAN 7?. P4151144 lrromrsi Oct. 4, 1960 D. R. PLEHAL 2,954,908

FOLDING TABLE IMPROVEMENTS Filed Jan. 27. 1958 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIE-71E INVENTOR. D4 1?. P4 5/4..

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FOLDING TABLE IMPROVEMENTS Filed Jan. 27, 1958 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIE S INVENTOR. D4 1?. P; 51/41.

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RI S10: F040 FIE-2E INVENTOR. D4 R. P 26 44 United States F? isonms. (c1..- 22 73 This invention relates generally to shirt folding maatent chines and pertains more particularly to a shirt folding machine of the semi-automatic type.

While completely automatic shirt folding machines have been devised and marketed, experience has shown that such fully automatic machines are costly, they get out of order rather easily, and cannot be depended upon to fold all shirt sizes as neatly and uniformly as is desired. Accordingly, one important object of the instant invention is to provide a shirt folding machine that .is semiautomatic in its operations, thereby affording the operator a greater degreeof control over the shirt folding procedure than can be achieved in a fully automatic machine. More specifically, a machine constructed in accordance with the teachings of this inventionpermits the operator to adjust the shirt for the best fold possible. In this regard, according to this invention the operator initiates certain portions of the folding cycle through either depression or release of a foot pedal and/or through the instrumentality of a push button. -By so doing, the operator can make sure that the shirt is properly laid out, freed from wrinkles, and that certain prior events have occurred properly before proceeding with the succeeding portion 'of the shirt folding cycle. Special provision is also made for interrupting the shirt folding procedure so that the collar form may be retracted in case ,of a rnislay of any shirt. Afte r the shirt has' lbecn i t d th eyele n h htih ed i h t e e n ahY re -t e of th el th t ha ehe s e' h ie i .lheimh h as full au omat s i nane hieeh he ha e o e to be e n i a o he been of 'th ih eh en i t p e s e Shirt fie d n Imeehih tha is es costly, yet which will perform its intended task as quckly .Q a mo a kl s c m let ut heti hie h L- ,Studies have revealed that certain portions of a shirt foldhis operation ma h rri d e n e 'eu hah eshie and vthat other portions of the .shirt folding cycle can almost as quickly be performed manually. Accordingly, the present invention provides that the sleeve and bolso rn portions of the shirt be folded in what might be termed flan automatic manner whereas the tail portion .ofthe shirt be {folded manually. Also, the sealing band, while situated in a readily usable location, nonetheless has its ends dhered to each other by hand, or a bag is slipped onto the folded shirt for protecting it.

hi e of a ma hi e 9 th e e h a aete tha w ll be im h ru e -i i s pe tie h e y m izin the expense of manufacture and maintenance of such a i h h Sin o l ee e n P r i n o e sh r f ld e e a e performed automat c l th p w r me anisms :for effecting such portions of the cycle are greatly simplitied. For instance, by use of the Present invention the e e v s eld tede a d the si fie d pl te ar actuated .hy 9am Pl t eo s a he to be m ve nnn on, there- .by effec ing great simplification. :Throughuse ofcams of proper configuration all mechanisms requisite for fold- A rth e ie t 9 the .ih ht eh e d n th p vi 2,954,908 Fntented Oct. 4, 1960 ing are moved or swung in a desired sequence, with resultant harmony of operation.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a shirt folding machine of utmost compactness, thereby conserving much needed space where the machine is used. Also, the shirt folding machine of the present invention does not require any special installation and it can be moved from one location to another, as desired.

Still another object is to provide a shirt folding machine thatis exceptionally simple and easy to use, thereby permitting employment of relatively inexperienced personnel for the shirt folding task. Furthermore, the folding machine of this'invention' is so simple that no training period is required for its use and personnel can be shifted Without difiiculty. l

Other and further objects are those inherent in the invention herein illustrated'and 'describ'edand' will be apparent as the description proceeds. 4

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, this invention then comprises the features hereinafter fully described particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the 'various ways in which the principles of the invention may be smp yq Figure l is a plan view of a shirt folding machine exemplifying the invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the machine, this yiew 'tieing taken from that'side over whi theil'eft sleeve "shirt" is initially draped with certain portions of the housing or casing being removed in orderto better illustrate of the working pans of the machine? I Figure 3 is a rear eley atiorial view; i Y

'liignre 4 is farilair circuihsche rnatic diagram which should facilitate an understanding of the manner in the machine functions; u

Prime 3 a side elevational view, partly in section, we h ree enehm iaen i i i ihe i es tion, Fi ure 6 i a iew eire he ih s b tant a l o Fi u e .5 he? i h e hs h s ze h t he hm in a a t reei ieh h t sen the iz ..,t l t lew re m 1e shirt th shew) iehiiit eeii 9 1 he .tebi f e h he ne; i I E sh e 7 is iQhi el vhiiehe w d p c e a h e i .meehenie Tie 't le t eev re Figured a view generally similar to Figure 7 but showing the actuating mechanism for the rightsleeve rod; Figure 9 is a front elevational view illustrating the actuating mechanism for the left side fold plate;

i ht-e 1. i iew ee r p h ih t igure 9 but h ew th e h t h meehfei ism iert right side l' plat Figure l1 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating with greater clarity some'of the size plate actuating mechanism set forth in F igures j and 6, and t i i Figure 12 is a chart listing in numerical sequence the s lient cvents taking place during a typical folding one:

R eferring now in detail to the drawings, the shirt f hhh fl e h he of he h e tie .e m r e a "m l y slanted table top 10 providedwith a transverse trough 11 for containing a stack of sealing bands. Generally designated by the numeral 12 is a supporting framework for the table top 10. The specific construction of the supporting framework 12 is, of course, unimportant to an understandin g'of the principles underlying the invention. Accordingly, it will notbe described in detail, but it will be mentioned that 't-here is a front panel"14,'a rear panel 15, a left side panel 16, and a right side panel'lS. "It will become clearer during the subsequent description that the left shirt sleeve is intended to be draped over the left panel 16 and, of course, the right shirt sleeve is intended to be draped over the right panel 18 prior to inaugurating a folding operation.

At the rear of the machine are two vertical standards or upright channels 20, and extending transversely between these upright channels 20 are upper and lower cross braces 22 and 24 as best viewed in Figure 3. Located between the upper ends of the channels 20 isa rectangular gearbox 26 havinga front 28, a back 30, and sides 32. In order to reveal the various gears and cams housed in'the gear box, the top thereof has been removed in Figure 1. From Figures 1 and 3 it will be discerned that flange bearings 34 are disposed on the sides of the upright channels 20. These flange bearings 34 serve as pivots in which stub rocker shafts 36 are journaled and thus render the gear box 26 tiltable about a horizontal axis transverse in respect to the machine.

Carried by the gear box 26 is a size plate 38 about which the shirt is folded. The size plate 38 has an arcuate notch 40 for facilitating the withdrawal of the shirt after it has been folded. A support for the size plate 38 is by way of a pair of arms 42, rivets 44 anchoring the plate 38 to these arms 42. A cross-piece 46 extends between the arms 42 at locus intermediate the ends thereof. A plate pivot 48 in the form of a U- shaped bracket has a plate pivot pin 50 passing there through and also through the end of the arms 42 which are remote from the size plate 38. As best viewed in Figures and 6, the front 28 of the gearbox is notched at 52 so that the size plate 38 can be brought into intimate contact with the upper side of the shirt. This action will occur when the gear box 26 is properly tilted about the horizontal axis provided by the rocker stub shafts 36.

FromFigure 2 it will be noted that the size plate 38 is uppermost just prior to initiating a shirt folding operation. In order to assure a good pressural engagement of the size plate when the gear box 26 is tilted, a tilt clevis 56 has its upper end pinned at 58 to the cross-piece 46 and has its lower end pinned at 60 to a tilt plate 62. A pivot pin 64 passes through the tilt plate 62 and a bracket 66 fixedly secured to the front 28 of the gear box 26. A size plate bias spring 68 having .its upper ,end attached to the bracket 66 and its bottom end to the tilt. plate 62 urges the tilt plate 62 in a counter-clockwise direction so as to elevate the size plate 38 to the position shown in Figures 1 and 5. Although the mechanism for tilting the gear box 26 has not yet been referred to, it will be recognized that a roller 69 carried on the lower end of the plate 62 will abut against a fixed L-shaped stop 70 when the gear box istilted in a clockwise direction as viewed in both Figures 2 and 5. Actual engagement of the roller 69 with the stop 70 is pictured in Figure 6. i

As can be seen from an inspection of Figures 1, 9, and 10, there is a pair of side fold plates 72 mounted on arms 74. The arms 74 are in turn affixed to shafts 76 which'shafts' are journaled in the front and back portions 28 and 30, respectively, of the gear box 26. Eachshaft carries a pinion 78 and these two pinions 78 are respectively enmeshed with sector gears 80 and 82. In other words, there is a sector gear for each ofthe pinions 78. The sector gears loosely encircle shafts 84 and 86.

-Each sector gear 80 and 82 is equipped with a cam follower, the cam follower for the gear 80 being designated by the reference numeral 88 and the cam follower for the gear 82 being indicated by the reference numeral 90. I

vided with a slot 98 into which the c m. f llower 90 projects.

4 More will be said later on concerning the specific functions of the side fold plates 72. At this time though it perhaps should be made manifest that Figure 9 shows what would be considered the left side fold plate 72 and Figure 10 illustrates what would be deemed to be the right side fold plate when viewed from the front of the machine.

A pair .of sleeve rods 100'are also utilized in the folding operation. i Actually these sleeve rods .100 come into playslightly before the side fold plates 72 are made active. The sequencing, however, will become more apparent during the operational sequence to be presented hereinafter. It will be seen that the sleeve rods 100 are carried at the ends ofarms 102, there beingshafts 104 journaled in thefront and rear portions 28 and 30 of the gear box 26. These shafts 104 are provided with pinions 106. Additional sector gears 108 and 110 loosely encircle the previously mentioned shafts 84 and 86 associated with sector gears80 and 82.

The sector gears 108 and 110 ,are equipped with cam followers 112 and 1141. Cam plates 116 and 118 are provided which contain therein slots 120 and 122 into tending through the respective cam plates and spacers into the drive plate. Consequently, actuation of the cam drive plate. 124 will move each ,of the four cam plates in precise unison with each other.

Next to be mentioned, is a collar mold mechanism 128 which is conventional and will not be described in any great detail. However it is to be observed that the mechanism 128 is disposed in an opening 130 provided in the table top. 10. Although the collar mold mechanism will not be described completely, it should be noted that it includes a front block 132 and a pair of side blocks 134. These threeblocks are movable outwardly with respect to each other and are spring retracted by an actuator labeled 138.

Since the collar mold mechanism 128 must be ex panded during a predetermined portion of the operating cycle, the apparatus whereby this timed action is phoduced will now be described. First of all, a collar mold cylinder 1401s provided which appears in Figure 2 and also in Figure 4. The ensuing description will better be understood from a continued reference to Figure 4 which is a schematic representation of the pneumatic system utilized in the operation of the shirt folding machine. From Figure 4 is can be noted that the closed end of the cylinder '140 is supplied with air via a tube 142 leading from a slow control valve 144, the purpose of'which is to set the speed at which the collar mold 128 closes. The con"- trol valve 144 has direct connection with a three way valve 146. Connected to the inlet side of the valve 146 is a check valve 148 which receives air flow from a four 1 way union labeled 150. The union 150 isconnected via a tube 152' through the outlet side ofa foot pedal valve 154. The foot pedal valve 154 is, as its name implies, actuated by a foot pedal 156, depression of the foot pedal causing air to flow to the collar mold cylinder 140. Flow of air to the collar mold cylinder is only one of three things occurring when thefoot pedal 156 is depressed.

The foot pedalvaive 154 receives its air through an oiler 158. The oiler is connected'to a source of com pressed air'by way of'a tube'160.

In the paragraph preceding the one immediately above it was stated that threethings actually happen when the foot pedal 156 is depressed. Describing now the parts associated with the second happening that takes place, attention -is'drawn to the existence of a foot pedal cylin der 162. The foot pedal cylinder is supplied with air through a controlvalve 164 and .a tube 166, the control 38. Instrumental in achieving this objective is a spring 4 closed lowering valve 174. Owing to the disposition of the spring closed lowering valve 174 beneath that portion of the reverse beam 170 intermediate the cylinder 162 and the rock shaft 172, the valve 174 will be urged into closed position by its spring whenever the reverse beam 170 is raised, that is, whenever the beam-is lifted by the foot pedal cylinder 162.

The 'third thing that occurs when thefoot pedal 156 is depressed is the energization of a pilot valve 176. The pilot valve 176 has direct communication with a check valve 178 and the check valve 178 in turn is connected to the four way union 150 through a tube 180.

The pilot valve 176 supplies air under pressure through the lowering valve 174 via a tube 182 extending between the pilot valve 176 and the lowering valve 174. When the pilot valve 176 is energized there is a direct flow of air under pressure through a tube 184 having communication with another tube 186 leading directly to the oiler 158. 7

Although a more detailed explanation is better reserved for the operational sequence, nonetheless it is to be observed that throughout the preceding three happenings the foot pedal 156 has remained depressed. Release of the foot pedal 156, however, is responsible for closing its associated foot pedal or valve 154. Closure of this valve shuts off the air to cylinder 140. Nonetheless the presence of the check valve 148 keeps the blocks 132 and 134 of the collar mold mechanism 128 expanded because of the trapped air. This is, of course, necessary to a needle valve 206. Connected to the needle valve 206 is a further tube 208 leading to one end of a master cylinder 210. One end of the cylinder 210 is physically connected to the gear box 26-through the medium of a pin 212. The master cylinder 210 contains a piston rod 214 carrying at its projecting end a vertical cross. arm 216. The cross arm 216 extends above and below the piston rod 214. The upper end of the vertical cross arm 216 is fixedly connected to the previously mentioned driveplate 124 by plate 221, said plate being secured at one end to the cross arm by appropriate means such as bolts 223 and at the opposite end to the drive plate by bolts 223. Thus when the piston rod 214 is actuated, the drive plate 124 is similarly moved. It will be recalled that the drive plate 124 is instrumental in connecting the various cam plates 92, 94,116, and 118 together for movement in synchnonism with each other. A horizontal guide bar 218 is fixedly supported by the gear box 26. A pair of slides 220 and 222 are anchored to the cam plates and owing to their slidable engagement with the guide bar are responsible for assuring a rectilinear movement of the various earns 92, 94, 116, and 118.

A clevis element 224 is connected to the lower end of the cross arm 216 in a swivel-like manner. A horizontal link 226 has a pin 228 passing through one end thereof and the clevis element 224. A second pin 230 extends through the other end of the horizontal link 226 and passes through the upper end of a vertical link 232. The upper end of the vertical link 232 is bifurcated and has been given the reference numeral 234. The lower end of this vertical link 232 is also bifurcated and has been assigned the reference numeral 236. A pin 238 passes through the lower end .236. What will be termed a inasmuch as neither the sleeve rods 100 nor their adflowered against the lowering valve 174. Such action forces the valve 174 into open position. It will be observed that there is a needle valve 188 connected to the lowering valve 174 so that air fiows therethrough to a tube 190.

The tube 190 leads'directly to the gear box lowering cylinder 192 having a piston rod 194, which in turn is connected to a downwardly extending arm 196 (Figure 2) on the front side 28 of the gear box 26. Due to this arrangement, extension of the piston rod 194 by reason of air being supplied to thecylinder 192 is responsible for tilting the gear box 26 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figures 2, 5, and 6. Such action readily overcomes the biasing elfect of a spring 198 which has up to this point retained the gear box in the particular rotative position it appears in in both Figures 2 and 5. In other words, the gear box is tilted through the action of the piston rod 194 into the position it appears in Figure 6 and hence lowers the size plate 38.

Up to this point all action has been inaugurated through the medium of the foot pedal 156. Attention is now called to the presence of a poppet valve 200 actuated by' a start or push button 201, the poppet valve 200 being connected to one end of a tube 202 which leads from a master control valve 204. It is the function of the poppet valve 200 to release air from this master conreverse lever 240 having an L-shaped configuration provides a longvertical leg 242 which is connected to the bifurcated end 236 by means of the pin 238. The reverse lever 240 also has a short or horizontal leg labeled 244, carrying a roller 246 at its free end.

Reference has already been made to the three way valve 146. At this time it will be pointed out that the valve 146 includes a plunger head 248. The linkage actuated by the master cylinder 210, which linkage includes the L-shaped reverse lever 240, is designed so as to cause a roller 246 carried by the short leg 244 to engage the plunger head 248 when the piston rod 214 has been completely projected from the cylinder 210. Actually, the roller 246 does not contact the plunger head 248, for there is an intermediate L-shaped valve retractor 249 which is best viewed in Figure 2 that is between the roller 246 and the plunger head 248. This valve retractor 249 is pivotally mounted on a pin 250 and has connected to one end thereof a connecting rod 252 inclining upwardly to a crank or arm 254. The crank or arm 254 is carried on a shaft 256, and the shaft 256 is rotatable by means of an actuating lever 258. It can be briefly explained at this time that in case of a mislaid shirt, the foot pedal 256 can be maintained in a depressed condition and thus keep the size plate 38 and the fold plates 72 raised from the table. The actuating lever 258 can then be manipulated by the operator so as to cause retraction of the blocks 132 and 134 of the collar mold mechanism 128. This will permit a manual smoothing of the shirt in case it has become rufl'led or not properly smoothed initially.

Next to be referred to is a toggle linkage 260 having one end thereof pivotally connected to the long leg 242 of the =L-shaped reverse lever 240 at the locus 262. The other end of the toggle linkage is connected at 264 to the lower end of an operating plunger 266 of a reverse valve 268. It will be observed'that there isa pin 270 connecting the halves of the toggle linkage 260 together. This pin 270 carries a roller 272 which is engageable with a reverse pawl 274, a pin 276 connecting thepawl to the previously referred to reverse beam Through the agency of a spring 278 the pawl 274 is normally biased to an upright position but may be deflected in a counterclockwise direction through engagement therewith by the roller 272.

The pneumatic connections of the reverse valve 268 into the overall system are deserving of special comment. Accordingly it will be observed that there is a tube 280 leading to a T connection 282. One way communication from the pilot valve 176 to the reverse valve 268 is provided by a check valve 284. The check valve 284 is oriented so that air can only flow from the pilot valve 176 to the reverse valve 268. In order that air may be bled from the master control valve 204 the T connection 282 is connected to the master control valve .204 through the medium of a tube 288. Fnom the foregoing it can be perceived that the reverse valve 268 performs two distinct functions, one being to exhaust air from the pilot valve 176 and the other being to bleed air from the master control valve 204.

Having presented a rather detailed description of the various parts constituting the exemplified shirt folding machine, it is felt that those familiar with the shirt folding art will understand how the machine is to be operated. Actually, certain portions of the operation have been dealt with as the written description progressed, it having been believed advisable, and actually found convenient, to make reference to specificportions of the operational cycle when the variousmembers and parts were first introduced. Nonetheless, a sequential and orderly description of what actually occurred will be of further'assistance in fully comprehending the attributes of this invention.

With'the above objective in mind attention is first drawn to Figures 2 and 5, where it can be discerned that the size plate 38, together with the side fold plates 72, are in their raised or elevated positions. The purpose underlying the elevating of these particular memhers is so that the shirt can be properly laid on the table top 10. From the Figure 2 in particular it will be seen that the size plate 38 is at a higher angular elevation than are the two side fold plates 72. By having the size plate 38 raised as illustrated in this particular figure, it will be appreciated that even the tallest operator will have an unobstructed 'view of the opening and the collar mold mechanism 128 contained in this opening. This is of appreciable help in assuring that the shirt is initially laid out in a proper fashion.

Because the laying out of the shirt and the ensuing folding thereof is so simple with the envisaged machine, it has not been deemed necessary to show a shirt. Actually picturing a shirt would have the undesired eifect of concealing some of the parts that are important to the practising of the instant invention. In laying out the shirt, though, the operator places the shirt on the table 10 with the collar projecting downwardly so as to circumscribe the expandible blocks 132 and 134, these blocks being retracted at this particular time. With the shirt properly positioned on the table top 10 the left sleeve thereof will hang over the folding rod 100 adjacent the side panel 16, whereas the right shirt sleeve will overhang the folding rod 100 lying adjacent the panel 18. Because the side folding plates 72 are raised, it can be appreciated that the shoulder portion of the shirt will underlie these particular fold plates.

With the machine at rest but with the tube 160 connected to a suitable source of air pressure, it can be understood that air immediately enters the apparatus through the oil'er 158. Inasmuch as the tube 186 contains no valve means and leads directly to the master control valve 204, as well as directly to the pilot valve'176 through an additional length of tubing 184, air is immediately fed to both the master control valve and the pilot valve. The plunger within the pilot valve 176 is thus urged in a direction to provide internal communication between the footpedal valve 154 and the lowering valve 174. However, air does not flow at this moment because the valve 154 is now closed. This also causes air to be supplied to both sides of the piston within the master cylinder 210 and also causes air to be supplied to the reverse valve 268. When the folding machine is at rest as we are now considering, no air will be supplied to the cylinders 149, 162, and 192.

Having placed the shirt on the table top 10 and having connected the tube 160 to a suitable source of compressed air, the operator is then ready .to depress the foot pedal 156. Depression of the foot pedal 156 opens the valve 154 so that air is allowed to flow through to the check valve 148, through the three way valve 146, and through the control valve 144 to the collar mold cylinder 140. Energization of the cylinder 140 will cause the collar mold mechanism 128 to expand. In other words, the front block 132 and the side blocks 134 are compelled to move outwardly into pressural engagement with the shirt collar that has been circumscribed about these blocks 132 and 134. With the collar mold mechanism 128 expanded, the collar portion of the shirt is securely anchored and inasmuch as the size plate 38 and the fold plates 72 are still elevated, the shirt may be convenintly straightened, preparatory to the actual folding operation. In straightening and adjusting the shirtit might be explained that the button strips are overlapped somewhat at the tail end of the shirt in order to eifect a neat fold of the shirt.

In addition to the airflow path referred to. in the pre ceding paragraph, air is also caused to flow through the control valve 164 to the foot pedal cylinder .162. This immediately causes the reverse beam 170 to raise, that is rock in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig ure 4. Such a happening permits the lowering valve 174 toclose by reason of its own closing spring.

In additonto the above two happenings, opening of the foot pedal valve 154 also permits air to flow through the check valve 178 to energize the pilot valve 176, thereby opening the air line to the lowering valve 174. The lower: ing valve, however, is closed at this time, as explained in the above paragraph.

Next in the course of events is the release of the foot pedal 156 with the concomitant closing of the foot pedal valve 154. Although air is at this time shut olf to the collar mold cylinder 140, the collar mold mechanism 128 is kept expanded by reason of the air that remains trapped owing to the employment of the check valve 148. However, the foot pedal cylinder 162 becomes exhausted and lowers the reverse beam 170 onto the lowering valve 174. This opens valve 174 and causes a How of air through the needle valve 188 to the lowering cylinder 192. Projection of the piston rod 194 associated with the lowering cylinder 192 outwardly rocks or tilts the gear box 26 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figures 2 and 5. The extent of this rocking or tilting is clearly shown in Figure 6 andhas the consequence that the size plate 38 and the side fold plates 72 are lowered into engagement with the upper side of the shirt that has been placed on the table top 10.

During the rocking or. tilting of the gear box 26 the tilt plate 62 will be tilted or pivoted when its roller 69 engages the fixed L-shap'ed stop 70. Through the intermedial-y of the tilt clevis 5 6 and the crosspiece 46 the,

size plate 38 is brought into a planar relationship with the side fold plates 72. Stated somewhat differently, the size plate 38 and the .side fold plates 72 are all brought aganist the upper side of the shirtas explained in the preceding paragraph. Hence while the size plate 38 is initially at a slightly higher elevation than are the fold plates 72, these three elements are all engaged or brought into intimate contact with the shirt upon release of the foot pedal 156.

Should the operator at this-time decide that the shirt has not been properly laid out on the table top 10, she need I not proceed immediately with the subsequent portion of the operating cycle. :Instead she has at her command the actuating lever 258. The reason for this actuating lever 9 and its associated linkage has already been described in suflicient detail so as not to warrant a further description thereof at the present time. However, it might be mentioned by way of review that the actuating lever does cause the retraction of the blocks 132 and 134 of the collar mold mechanism 128. Before actually manipulating the lever 258 the operator will ordinarily once again depress the foot pedal 256 so that the gear box 26 will return to the position pictured in Figures 2 and 5. With the collar mold mechanism retracted, any further adjustment can be made to the shirt before onceagain releasing the foot :pedal 156.

Next in the normal course .of events is the actuation or depression of the push button 201. This initiates the actual foldingoperation and it should be manifest from the preceding .description that the operator can make various adjustments prior to proceeding with this particular phase of the operating cycle. Actuation of the start or push button 201depresses the poppet valve 200 so that air is released at one ,side of the master control valve .204. The movable plunger (not shown) contained in this valve is shifted so {that air exhausts through the needle valve 206, thereby causing the master cylinder piston rod214 to move outwardly.

Inasmuch as .the cross-arm 216 which is moved by the piston rod 214 is connected directly to the cam drive plate 124, it follows that the 9am plates 92, 94, 116, and 118 are forcibly moved in unison. The contouring of the slot 120 formed in the .cam plate 116 is such that the follower 112 is immediately forced to move and its movement produces a pivotal movement of the sector gear 108. Due to the factthat the pinion 106 is in mesh with this sector gear 108, it .can be appreciated that the arms102, -.which is fixedly connected to the same shaft 104 .on which the'pinion 10.6 is mounted, moves upwardly to thereby cause the left sleeve rod 100 to move through :un arc of approximately 260degrees, as :indicated by the directional arrows superimposed upon Figure 7. This results in the left shirt sleeve being vflipped about the left si e fold plate 72, inasmuch as this particular side fold plate remains against the-upper side of theshirt during this particular portion of the operational cycle.

Almost immediatelyafter .the left sleeve rod 100 starts its ravel, the right sleeve ,rod 100 is caused to move through arcuate path. In this regard it will be appreelated that :the slot 122 in the cam plate 118 is contouredso that'the cam follower 114 carried'by the sector .gear 110 will move this sector gear about its shaft 86. Owing to the engagement of the sector gear 110 with the pinion 106 in Figure 8, the'right arm 102 on which the right sleeve rod 100 .is supported, moves as outlined above; A slight delay isof course necessary so that there will be no mechanical interference between the two sleeve rods 100 as they move to their respective paths. The contouring of the slots 120 and 122, of course, takes care of providing theidesired delay interval.

It will be recalled that all of the cam plates 92, 94, 116, and 118 are moved in unison by virtue of the single or common cam drive plate 124. Therefore, by appropriately configuring the slot 96 in the cam plate 92, the follower 88can be compelled toactuate the sector gear 80 immediatelyupon the sleeve rods 100 reaching their ultimate :position as shown in phantomoutline in Figures 7 and 8. Thesector gear 80 acts through the agency of its (associated pinion 78 of Figure 9, which pinion is mounted for rotation with the shaft 7.6, thereby swinging the left arm 74 through an angular path. The left arm 74 has attached thereto-the'left side fold plate 72.

Upon the left ,side fold plate 72 engaging the shirt, everything is in readiness for the right side fold plate 72 to bemoved through its particular path. Hence, the slot 98 contained in the cam plate 94 is so configured that the cam follower 90 is caused to move after left fold plate 72 has reached its final position. The follower 90 produces a pivotal movement of the sector gear 82 hostess 10 together with an actuation of the pinion 78. of Fi ure 10, Rotation of the pinion 78, since it is fixedly mounted on the shaft 76, causes the right arm 74 to be pivoted together with the right fold plate 72.

Briefly then, what has transpired up to this point that the machine has folded the left sleeve, then the right sleeve, then the left shoulder, and last the right shoulder. All of these folding operations are about the size plate 38, Next the tail of the shirt is manually doubled over and folded up over the back of the machine-folded shirt.

Since it is planned that a supply of sealing bands be contained in the trough -11 which trough is subjacent the folded shirt, the uppermost sealing band can be easily wrapped around the shirt asthus folded and its ends sealed together to retain the shirt in its folded condition. Frequently, laundries like to use shirt boards and in such cases, the operator initially places the disposable board atop the size plate 38, so that the shirt is wrapped about both the plate and the board.

During the time that the cross-piece 116 is moving due-to the outward movement of the piston rod 214, it is also causing the reverse lever 232m be pivoted. When the piston rod 214 has reached its outward end of its stroke, the roller 2 46 carried by the short leg 244 is forced downwardly onto :the intermediate valve retractor 249, so that (the plunger 248 of the three way valve 146 is :pressed downwardly. Downward movement of the plunger 248 results in :the trapped air in the collar mold cylinder 140 being exhausted. .Ofcourse, exhaustion of the air within the collar mold cylinder 140 permits the blocks 132a-nd 134 to be;retracted and thus release their grip on the .collar of the shirt that has now been folded.

Simultaneously with the happeningoutlined in the precedingparagraph, the reverse lever 232.causes the roller 272 to engage the pawl 2.74. .It will be recognized that the toggle linkage 260 is at this time being bent downwardly so ,as to bring its roller 272 into engagement :with the pawl 274 while .i is in an p tan ng con ition due to the action eof the biasin p in 278, H wever, .ccntinued movement of the roller 272 deflects the reverse pawl 274, moving it counter-clockwise as viewed in Figures 3 and 4.

While we-have digressed ,somewhat'in order to explain what happens at the rear part of the machine ;far as the various articulated movements are concerned, nonetheless it should be remembered that at stage the sleeve rods and the side fold plates 72 arestill in their fold position on the table top 10. At this time, though, the foot pedal 156 is depressed for the second time and aga n op n he -foo ;p d l-v 1v 1 4. H we y the :foot :pe al cy inder .162 i e rgize and its energization raises the reverse beam 170 The lowerins valve .174 i p ng a ua ed o os d .nos i ns that the raising of the reversebeam 117i is instrumental in permitting closing of this valve 17d. Closure of the valve 174 in turn exhausts the lowering cylinder 19 2 and thus throu the ag y of the spring 98 the gear box 26 is tilted or rocked back to its original position. Since the gear box 26 serves as a support for the various elements 38, 72, and 100 it can be appreciated that all of these element are ra se toge her Wi h he hirt th h s beenw pp hereab ut. On y a lig p l on the shirt in the area thereofadjacent the notch 40 is needed in order to remove the folded shirt completely from these various folding elements and any enwrapped shirt board contained therein.

It has already been stated that the reverse pawl 274 has been deflected in ;a counter-clockwise di ection as viewed in Figures 3 and 4. Upon the reverse beam being raised, though, he. end th reof carryinhe r verse pawl 274 .is lowered so thatthe'pawlfl'leii free-to be snapped back .to its vertical position by reason :Of :the force furnished by .the spring 3278. This .occurrencesets the pawl 274 directly under the reverse valve .268 in preparationzfor another happening about to be described.

'11 Considering now what happens when the foot pedal 156 is again released, the foot pedal valve 154 immedi: ately closes and effects an exhaustion of the air from the foot pedal cylinder 162, thereby letting the reverse beam 170 lower itself under the influence of its spring 173. With the reverse pawl 274 now vertical and underlying the reverse valve 268, it can bediscerned that when this pawl moves upwardly, as it will do when the reverse beam 170 is lowered or rocked in a clockwise direction, the pawl 274 contacts the roller 272, pushing upwardly thereon so that the upward push is transferred to the reverse valve 268 via its plunger 266. Upward movement of the plunger 266 opens the reverse valve 268 to atmosphere so that air contained in the pilot valve 176 is exhausted through the check valve 284 and the tube 280. Concurrently with the exhaustion of the pilot valve 176 is the bleeding of air from the master control valve 204 via the tube 288 leading to the tube 280. When air is bled from the, master control valve 204 it permits its plunger to move to a reverse position, thus reversing or retracting the piston rod 214 of the master cylinder 210. Such a happening results in the cam plates 92, 94, 116, and 118 being returned to their original positions. Such a return, of course, causes their respective cam followers to actuate the sector gears 80, 82, 108, and 110. In turn, the sector gears just men tioned cause their side fold plates 72 and the sleeve rods 100 to be returned to their original position.

As soon as the last sleeve rod 100 is moved from its position atop the size plate 38, the size plate bias spring 68 acts so as to raise the size plate 38 once again to its more elevated position above the plane of the side fold plates 72 as illustrated in Figure 2. This completes a complete operational cycle and it will be recognized that all of the machines parts are now in readiness for a subsequent shirt folding cycle.

As many widely apparently diflt'erent embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the specific embodiments herein.

What is claimed:

l. A shirt folding machine comprising a table, support means mounted on said table for rocking movement at one end of said table, a size plate mounted on said support means being mounted in a position so as to overhang said table, a plurality of swingable folding elements mounted on said support means so as to extend over said table, means for rocking said support means in a direction to lower said size plate and said folding elements onto said table, means mounted on the support means and connected to said folding elements for actuating said folding elements in succession through folding paths,

return means for effecting a return of said actuating means to an initial position to return said folding elements to their respective initial positions, means connected to said return means for controlling said return means, and means operated by said actuating means during the actuation of said folding elements for rendering said return means ineffectual until operation of said control means.

2. A shirt folding machine in accordance with claim 1 including means for rocking said support means so as to lower said size plate and said folding elements, said rocking means being controlled by said control means and said return means being rendered ineffectual until said rocking means has first returned said support means to its initially raised position.

3. A shirt folding machine in accordance with claim 1 in which said control means includes an element pivotal and engageable with said return means when in a position of alignment, said pivotal element being defiectable out of alignment by said actuating means during actuation of said folding elements into folding position.

4. A shirt folding machine comprising a table, support'means mounted on the table for rocking movement on said support means, said size plate being mounted in overhanging relation to said table, a pair of swingable folding elements mounted on said support means so as to be rocked in direct unison with support means be tween a position spaced from the table and, a lowered position onto the table, means on the table connected to the size plate for biasing said size plate into an angular position above said folding elements when said support means is rocked into a position raising said folding elements from said table, and means on the table for overcoming the action of said biasing means when said support means is rocked in'a direction to cause engagement of said folding elements with a shirt placed on said table to cause said sizeplate also tocontact the shirt.

5. A shirt folding machine comprising a table, support means mounted on said-table for rocking movement at one end of said table between a datum position and a lowered position, a size plate pivotally mounted on said support means, said sizeplate being mounted in over-; hanging relation to said table, a pair of side fold plates swingably mounted on-said support means, said side fold.

plates mounted to extend over the table a pair of sleeve rods also swingably mounted on said support means, said; sleeve rods mounted on the support means tonormally be at an elevation below said fold plates when said sup-' port means is in its upper position, means on the tableconnected to the size plate for' biasing said size plate at an angle above said side fold plate, and means on the table for overcoming the action of said biasing means when said support means is rocked into its loweredposi tion, thereby to establish a planar relationship between. said size plate and said side folding plates when said support means is rocked into its said lowered position.

6. A shirt folding machine comprising a table, support means mounted for rocking movement at one end of said' table, a size plate carried by said support means and overhanging said table, a plurality of swingable folding elements mounted on said support means, means for rocking said support means in a direction to lower said size plate and said folding elements including a first air cylinder, means for operating said folding elements in succession including a second air cylinder, foot pedal means for effecting the operation of said first air cylinder so as to rock said supporting means into its lowered position, push button means for effecting operation of said second air cylinder so as to actuate said folding elements through their folding path by way of the piston rod be-. longing to said second air cylinder, means actuated by said piston rod for conditioning the return of said piston rod to its initial position upon a second actuation of said foot pedal means, said second actuation of said foot pedal means also causing said first air cylinder to return to its initial position.

7. A shirt folding machine comprising a table, support means mounted for rocking movement at one end of said table, a size plate carried by said support means overhanging said table, a plurality of swingable folding elements mounted on said support means, means for rocking said support means in a direction to lower said.

size plate and saidfolding elements including a first air cylinder, means for'operating said folding elements in succession including a second air'cylinder, a reverse beam" pivotally connected intermediate its ends, means actuating said reverse beam in one rotative direction to provide one rotated position of said reverse beam, means biasing said reverse beam in an opposite rotative direction to provide a reversely rotated position of the reverse beam, means rendering said reverse beam activating means inactive so that said reverse beam asssumes its reversely rotated position, a lowering valve opened by said reverse beam when said reverse beam is in its rotated position to thereby supply air to said first air cylinder and thus rock said supporting means into its lowered position, means for supplying air to said second air cylinder;

assi ns to cause its piston rod to move said folding elements in a folding direction, a reverse valve associated with said last mentioned means for causing the piston rod of said second air cylinder to reverse its direction, a reverse pawl carried 'by said reverse beam, said pawl being biased into alignment with the plunger of said reverse valve, linkage means actuated by the piston rod of said second air cylinder movable in a direction to deflect said reverse pawl out of alignment with the plunger of said reverse valve as said piston rod is moved outwardly of said second air cylinder to actuate said folding elements, operation of said actuating means for said reverse beam causing said reverse beam to rotate in said one rotative direction to thereby free said reverse pawl from said linkage means so that said pawl returns to its initial position of alignment with the plunger of said reverse valve, operation of said means for inactivating said beam activating means for the second time allowing said reverse beam to operate in its reverse direction under the influence of its biasing means so that said reverse pawl engages the plunger of said reverse valve to effect a return of the piston rod of the second air cylinder to its initial position together with elfecting a return of said folding elements to their initial position.

8. A shirt folding machine comprising a table, support means mounted for rocking movement at one end of said table, a size plate carried by said support means and overhanging said table, a plurality of swingable folding elements mounted on said support means, means for rocking said support means in a direction to lower said size plate and said folding elements including a first air cylinder, means for operating said folding elements in succession including a second air cylinder, a foot pedal, a foot pedal valve actuated by depression of said foot pedal, said foot pedal valve being connected to a source of air under pressure, a pilot valve connected'directly to said source of air, a master control valve also connected directly to said source of air, said master control valve furnishing air to both ends of said second air cylinder, a foot pedal cylinder, a reverse beam pivotally connected intermediate its end and actuated in one rotative direction by said footpedal cylinder, means biasing said reverse beam in its opposite rotative direction, a lowering valve normally biased to closed position and connected tosaid pilot valve, said reverse beam when rotated in its said one direction permitting said lowering valve to close, means connecting said foot pedal valve to said pilot valve so as to feed air to said lowering valve, release of said foot pedal causing said foot pedal valve to close and thus shut off air to said foot pedal cylinder whereby said reverse beam is caused to rotate in said reverse direction under the influence of its biasing means, said reverse rotation of the reverse beam acting to open said lowering valve to supply air to said first air cylinder to rock said supporting means into its lowered position, a push button, a valve actuated by said push button to release air from said master control valve and thereby cause the piston of said second air cylinder to operate said folding elements, a reverse pawl carried by said reverse beam at the end thereof remote from said foot pedal cylinder, said pawl being biased into alignment with the plunger of said reverse valve, linkage means actuated by said piston rod of said second air cylinder as it operates said folding elements, said linkage means being engageable with said reverse pawl so as to deflect said pawl out of alignment from the plunger of said reverse valve, depression of said foot pedal for the second time opening said foot pedal valve and thus furnishing air under pressure to said foot pedal cylinder to rotate said reverse beam once again in its said one direction to permit closing of said lowering valve with the consequence that the piston rod of'said first air cylinder is returned to its initial position together with the rock supporting means, rotation of said reverse beam in its said one direction also freeing said reverse pawl from its deflected engagement with said linkage means so that its return to its initial position of alignment with the plunger of said reverse valve is effected, release of said foot pedal for the second time closing said foot pedal valve to effect an exhaustion of air from said foot pedal cylinder thereby allowing said reverse beam to rotate in its reverse direction under the influence of its biasing meansso that said reverse pawl engages the plunger of said reverse valve to effect a bleeding of air from said master control valve through said pilot valve and hence return the piston rod of said second air cylinder to its initial position together with effecting of a return of said folding elements to their initial position.

9. A shirt folding machine comprising a table having an opening, a collar mold mechanism disposed in said opening, support means mounted for rocking movement at one end of said table, a size plate carried by said sup port means and overhanging said table opening, a plurality of swingable folding elements mounted on said support means, means for actuating said collar mold mechanism into expanded condition including a first air cylinder, means for rocking said support means in a direction to lower said size plate and said folding elements including a second air cylinder, means for operating said folding element in succession including a third air cylinder, a foot pedal, a foot pedal valve actuated by depression of said foot pedal, said foot pedal valve being connected to a source of air under pressure, a three way valve having an inlet, two outlets and a projecting plunger, said projecting plunger being biased in a direction to provide communication between said inlet and one of said outlets, a check valve between said foot pedal valve and said inlet so as to pass air to said three way valve when said foot pedal valve is actuated, said first outlet in turn being connected to said first air cylinder, a pilot valve connected directly to said source of air, a master control valve also connected directly to said source of air, said master control valve furnishing air to both ends of said third air cylinder, a foot pedal cylinder, a reverse beam pivotally connected intermediate its ends to actuate it in one rotative direction by said foot pedal cylinder, means biasing said reverse beam in an opposite rotative direction, a lowering valve normally biased to closed position and connected to said pilot valve, said reverse beam when rotated in its said one direction permitting said lowering valve to close, means connecting said foot pedal means to said pilot valve so as to feed air to said lowering valve, the release of said foot pedal causing said foot pedal valve to close and thus shut off air to said foot pedal cylinder whereby said reverse beam is caused to rotate in said reverse direction under the influence of its biasing means, said reverse rotation of the reverse beam acting to open said lowering valve to supply air to said second air cylinder to rock said support means into its lowered position, a push button, a valve ,actu-atedby said push button to release air from said master control valve and thereby cause the piston of said third air cylinder to operate said folding elements, lever means actuated by the piston rod of said third air cylinder having a portion thereof cngageable with the plunger of said three way valve so as to move the plunger to connect the inlet of the three way valve to the other of said outlets thereby to exhaust trapped air from said first cylinder and thus return said collar mold mechanism to its retracted position, linkage means connected to said lever means having a pawl actuating portion thereon, a reverse pawl carried by said reverse beam at the end thereof remote from said foot pedal cylinder, said pawl being biased into alignment with the plunger of said reverse valve but deflect-able out of alignment by said pawl actuating portion on said lever means as said linkage means is actuated by said piston rod via said linkage means, whereby depression of said foot pedal for the second time to open said foot pedal valve and thus furnish air under pressure to said foot pedal cylinx 15 der to rotate said reverse beam once in its said one direction to permit closing of said lowering valve with the consequence that said second air cylinder is returned to its initial position together with the rock supporting means, rotation of said reverse beam in its said one di-. rection also freeing said reverse pawl from said pawl actuating portion of said linkage means so that it returns to its initial position of alignment with the plunger of said reverse valve, the release of said foot pedal for the second time closing said foot pedal valve to effect an exhaustion of air from said foot pedal cylinder thereby allowing said reverse beam to rotateein its reverse direction under the influence of its biasing means so that said reverse pawl engages the plunger of said reverse valve to effect a bleeding of air from said master control valve to said pilot valve and hence return said third air cylinder to its initialposition together with effecting a return of said folding elements to their initial position. I i

10. A shirt folding machine in accordance with claim 9 including manually actuatable means also engageable with the plunger of said three way valve so as to move said plunger to connect the inlet of the three way valve to the other of said outlets, thereby to exhaust trapped air from said first cylinder and thus return said collar mold mechanism to its retracted position under the supervisorycontrol of a human operator.

11. A shirt folding machine comprising a' table having an opening, a collar mold mechanism disposed in said opening, support means mounted for rocking movement at one end of said table, a size plate pivotally carried by said support means and overhanging said table opening, a plurality of swingable folding elements mounted on said support means, means for actuating said collar mold mechanism into expanded conditionincluding a first air cylinder, means for rocking said support means in a direction to lower said size plate and said folding elements including a second air cylinder, means for operating said folding elements in succession including a third air cylinder, a foot pedal, a foot pedal valve actuated by depression of said foot pedal, said foot pedal valve being connected to a source of air under pressure, a three way valve having an inlet, two outlets, and a projecting plunger, said projecting plunger being biased in a direction to provide communication between said inlet and one of said v outlets, a check valve between said foot pedal valve and said inlet so as to pass air through'said three way valve when said foot pedal valve is actuated, said first outlet in turn being connected to said first air cylinder, a pilot valve connected directly to said source of air, a master control valve also connected directly to said source of air, said master control valve furnishing air to both ends of said third air cylinder, a foot pedal cylinder, a reverse beam pivotally connected intermediate its ends and actuated in one rotative direction by said foot pedal cylinder, means biasing said reverse beam in an opposite rotative direction, a lowering valve normally biased in closed position and connected to said pilot valve, said reverse beam when rotated in its said one direction permitting said lowering valve to close, means connecting said foot pedal valve to said pilot valve so as to feed air to said lowering valve, release of said foot pedal causing said foot pedal valve to close and shut off air to said foot pedal cylinder whereby said reverse beam is caused to rotate in said reverse direction under the influence of its biasing means, said reverse rotation of the reverse beam acting to open said lowering valve to'supply air to said second air cylinder to rock said supporting means into its lowered position, a push button, a valveactuated by said push button to release air from said master control valve and thereby cause the piston rod of said third aircylinder to operate said folding elements, an L-shaped lever means actuated by said piston rod having one leg thereof engageable with the plunger of said three way valve so as to move said plunger to connect the inlet of the three way valve to the other of said outlets, thereby to exhaust trapped air from said first cylinder and thus return said collar mold mechanismto its retracted position, toggle linkage'comprised of a pair of links pivotally connected together at their adjacent ends and to said L-shaped linkage at one opposite end and to'the plunger of said reverse valve at the other opposite end, said adjacent ends carrying a laterally projecting element, a reverse pawl carried by said reverse beam at the end thereof remote from said foot pedal cylinder, said pawl being biased into alignment with the plunger of said reverse valve but defiectable out of alignment by said laterally projecting element as said toggle linkage is actuated by said piston rod via s-aid'L-shaped linkage, whereby depression of said foot pedal for the second time opens said foot pedal valve and thus furnishes air under pressure to said foot pedal cylinder to rotate said reverse beam once again in its said one direction to permit closing of said I lowering valve with the consequence that the piston rod of said second air cylinder is returned to its original position together with the rocked supporting means, rotation of said reverse beam in its said one direction also freeing said reverse pawl from said laterally projecting element so that it returns to its initial position of alignment with the plunger of said reverse valve, release of said foot pedal for the second time closing said foot pedal valve to effect an exhaustion of air from said foot pedal cylinder thereby allowing said reverse beam to rotate in its reverse direction under the influence of its biasing means so that said reverse pawl engages the plunger of said reverse valve to effect a bleeding of air from said master control valve tosaid pilot valve and hence return the piston rod of said third air cylinder to its initial position together with efiecting a return of said folding elements to their initial position.

12. A shirt folding machine in accordance with claim 11 in which said plurality of folding elements includes a pair of side fold plates extending at a given angle from said support means so as to engage the upper side of a shirt when arranged on said table for shirt folding purposes, and means normally biasing said side plate into an angular position above that of said side fold plates when said support means is in its raised position.

13. A shirt folding machine in accordance with claim 12 including a tilt plate articulatively connected to said size plate, size plate biasing means urging said tilt plate in a direction to elevate said size plate above said side folding plates, said tilt plate being pivotal about a given axis and carryingthereon an element projecting later-ally therefrom, and stop means engageable with said last mentioned laterally projecting element so as to tilt said tilt plate when said supporting means has been rocked into its lowered position, thereby to lower said 'size plate into a planar relationship with said side folding platesagainst the upper side of the shirt to be folded.

14. A shirt folding machine comprising a table having a nearly horizontal upper surface for supporting the shirt thereon, support means mounted on the table for rocking movement at one end of said table, a size plate carried by said support means, said size plate being mounted on the support means so as to overhang said table, a plurality of swingable folding elements mounted on said support means, means for rocking said support means in a direction to lower said size plate and said folding elements relative to the table so that said size plate is lowered to a position adjacent the upper surface of said table and said folding elements are positioned below and alongside the surface of the table, means on the support means and connected to the folding elements for actuating said folding elements in succession through folding paths, return means for effecting the return of said actuating means to its initial position so as to return said folding elements to their respective initial position, means connected to said return means for controlling said return means, and means connected to and operated by said actuating means 17 during the actuation of said folding elements for rendering said return means ineffectual until operation of said control means.

15. A shirt folding machine in accordance with claim 14 in which the plurality of swingable folding elements includes a pair of arm folding members, each having an elongated member that is substantially parallel to but positioned beneath the upper surface of the table when the support means is in a raised position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Arruda Nov. 4, 1952 Neckel Feb. 24, 1953 Forse et al. May 19, 1953 Pearson et a1 Nov. 17, 1959 

